Miku ready to rock

Three seasons of the Indian Super League (ISL) so far has seen a number of foreign players come, entertain and make a mark.

While big stars like Alessandro del Piero,  Roberto Carlos and Marco Materazzi showed their world-class talent in glimpses during their stay, there were a handful of unknown names who made the most of this opportunity to stake a claim in the  minds of Indian fans.

Iain Hume,  Bernard Mendy and Marcelinho are a few who took everyone by storm with quality performances in a three-month league,  entertaining in equal measure at their respective franchises. Hoping to join this bunch of entertainers this year is  Nicolas Ladislao Fedor Flore, popularly known as Miku.

The Venezuelan international is one of the six  foreigners to join Bengaluru FC this season. A player who prefers to be the target man inside the box and would never hesitate to take on a defender, Miku says things have been good so far as he settles into his new club.  "At the moment it's very positive," he says.

"It's different and it's hard because the (Indian) culture is different.  I am here alone. I am without my three daughters (Nicole, Itana and Miranda) and wife. For me, it's the worst thing. Of course I play football. It's the happiest thing, but after my kids," he  says, hoping to get his family here by January next year.

For a player who has spent close to 15 years years in Spain and played for top clubs like Valencia, Getafe and  Rayo Vallecano it's surprising that Miku chose to come to India. But the 32-year-old  is confident of making a difference at Bengaluru. "Even people back home want to know why I chose India," he explained

"Look, the  league is growing. You have two more teams this season. I was recommended to come here by some of the players who I played with or against in La Liga before.

"In the beginning, the league started with famous retired stars but many youngsters want to compete and shine. This is a good chance for the league to grow further. I think it's the fourth best watched league in the world. So it's a great opportunity for me to have a good step in my career."

Miku has been in Bengaluru for over a month. While the other Spaniards, specially Jaun Gonzales, is helping in settle into a new lifestyle, on the pitch its business as usual for the  Venezuelan. "To be frank, the quality here surprised me. I didn't know what to expect, but after seeing the players I know they're good," he says.

"When I came here, everyone spoke about Sunil (Chhetri), Udanta (Singh) and Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu). After a few weeks of playing with them, I can tell you that they are of a good level. They can play outside India as well. Of what I have heard, the level has improved now. Indians are better than what they were five years ago. If in the next five years the league improves, Indians can increase their level further."